Wear plates may be used for numerous applications to protect an underlying surface or to protect a material being handled. Wear plate may be constructed from a uniform material, such as a chromium or tungsten alloy, or the plate may be asymmetric and comprise a layer of alloy, rubber, ceramic or polyurethane that overlays a steel plate.
The wear plate may include an upper surface that provides a generally continuous and smooth sliding surface to enhance the sliding of material thereover and reduce hangup of the material.
The wear plate may comprise a layer of hard surfaced alloy over a mild steel base. It is the hard faced surface of the wear plate which contacts the material being handled and over which the material slides during loading or unloading. Wear resistant plates are used in areas where there is likely to be a high degree of abrasion, such as buckets, chutes and hoppers used in mining or earthmoving equipment. The use of wear resistant plates increases the working life of the machinery or bulk handling equipment, because the plates inhibit wear and can be replaced at any stage to protect the underlying surface.
In some applications the upper surface of the wear plate may comprise a layer of ceramic material. In still other applications, the upper surface may be constructed from rubber or polyurethane to provide a non-rigid or pliable load-bearing surface.
In all applications it is important that the wear plate provides a generally smooth upper surface to inhibit increased abrasion by the material being handled. Irregularities in the upper surface of the plate such as bolt heads extending out therefrom or hollows, leads to an increase in localised turbulence, which can result in damage to the wear plate thereby reducing its life span, or damage to the material being handled.
Where large areas are clad, including hoppers and chutes used in handling ore and rock in the mining industry, the plates are sizable and need to be moved by a hoist, such as a crane, during installation and replacement. These large wear resistant plates therefore require an engagement device for connecting to the hoist. Since the underside of the plates is attached to the hopper or chute the coupling means must be positioned adjacent the outer or upper surface of the plate, which can result in irregularities in the upper surface.
An engagement device can be detachably connected to the outer surface of the wear plate using bolts that engage apertures through the wear resistant plate. However this results in holes or depressions that during use can cause hangup of material or generally increase localised wear of the plate. Likewise permanently fixed lugs result in irregularities in the outer surface that can result in increased abrasion or damage to the material being handled.
The term wear plate used throughout the specification defines any plate or panel that is used to provide a wear lining. In one form the invention can be used on plates having a backing that has been hard faced with a suitable hard surfacing alloy. In another form the wear plate may include a layer constructed from rubber, ceramic or polyurethane. Although the invention is discussed with particular reference to hard faced wear plate it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this application and the invention could be use in conjunction with rubber lining, ceramic linings or polyurethane linings without departing from the scope of the invention.
It should be appreciated that any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application.